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March
2003 Newsletter
City
Assets Sacrificed for the Expressway
The
2003 City capital budget includes $19.6 million for
the Red Hill Creek Expressway. However it also lists
163 projects that are "unaffordable", some
of which have been needed since 1997. These include:
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an
inventory of contaminated sites in the West Harbour
area
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a risk and hazard assessment at 150 City facilities
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a risk study on potential safety hazards in recreational
centres
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fixing
the cooling tower and leaking roof in the Central
Library / Farmer's Market building
-
building
repairs to the Children's Museum
-
decommissioning
in-ground fuel systems to limit liability
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identifying lands suitable for affordable housing
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$1.8
million in maintenance of City Hall (in place of
major renovations or re-building)
-
removing
ozone-depleting chemicals in Copps Coliseum and
the Central Library equipment
-
implementing
an environmental management system for the City
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support
for 11 Business Improvement Areas in older commercial
districts
-
replacing
the sprinkler system in the Hamilton Place parking
garage
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extending the west Hamilton rail trail to Chedoke
park
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replacing obsolete and failing fire alarm equipment
in Copps Coliseum and the Convention Centre
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equipment
repairs/upgrades in Auchmar, Gage House, the Football
Hall of Fame, and the Steam Museum
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repairs to arenas including Coronation, Chedoke,
Lawfield, Saltfleet, Rosedale, Inch Park, Eastwood,
Morgan Firestone, Carlisle, Spring Valley, Mountain,
Glanbrook and Dundas
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repairs
and maintenance for various town halls
-
several
projects to reduce the need for pesticide use
Every one of these projects and many more could have
proceeded if $19.6 million were not being allocated
this year for the expressway.
If basic maintenance and repairs to a city building
are considered unaffordable, it seems likely that
someone has already decided that building will be
abandoned soon.
The capital budget decisions also clearly show which
departments are getting priority. For example, 68
roads projects were approved while only 8 were declared
unaffordable. On the other hand, 119 projects of the
community services department were 'unaffordable',
as against 51 that were funded.
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©
Friends of Red Hill Valley 1991-2005
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